Give Them An Argument

Ben Burgis
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Nov 24, 2023 • 1h 49min

Season 5 Episode 42: Samuel Moyn & Matt McManus on Cold War Liberalism

Samuel Moyn joins us to talk about his fascinating new book "Liberalism Against Itself: Cold War Intellectuals and the Making of Our Times." In it he argues that liberalism today is shaped by the shift made by many liberal intellectuals who turned their backs on the radical aspirations of earlier liberalisms during the Cold War.One of our favorite recurrent guests, Matt McManus, just reviewed Moyn's book for Liberal Currents. Both of them have a lot to say about liberalism, socialism, and how we think about rights and human liberationBefore that, Ben Burgis and the GTAA crew talk about Ben's Jacobin article today about the "human shields" defense of Israel bombing civilians in Gaza, and Ben and the GTAA crew watch a debate between Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti about whether what Israel is doing rises to the level of "ethnic cleansing." (She says yes, he says no.) In the postgame for patrons, we relax with some Ben Shapiro nonsense.Order Samuel's book:https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300266214/liberalism-against-itself/Read Matt's review:https://www.liberalcurrents.com/samuel-moyn-on-the-abandonment-of-revolutionary-liberalism/Follow Samuel on Twitter: @samuelmoynFollow Matt on Twitter: @MattPolProfFollow Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgisFollow GTAA on Twitter: @Gtaa_ShowBecome a GTAA Patron and receive numerous benefits ranging from patron-exclusive postgames every Monday night to our undying love and gratitude for helping us keep this thing going:patreon.com/benburgisRead the weekly philosophy Substack:benburgis.substack.comVisit benburgis.com
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Nov 21, 2023 • 2h 14min

Thursday Night Debate Breakdown: Ben Shapiro at the Cambridge Union

Ben Shapiro just debated...well, the only people he ever seems to want to debate these days--college students. But this time at a fancy setting!Ben Burgis and Victor Bruzzone break it down.Follow Victor on Twitter: @victorbruzzoneFollow Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgisFollow GTAA on Twitter: @Gtaa_ShowBecome a GTAA Patron and receive numerous benefits ranging from patron-exclusive postgames every Monday night to our undying love and gratitude for helping us keep this thing going:patreon.com/benburgisRead the weekly philosophy Substack:benburgis.substack.comVisit benburgis.com
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Nov 17, 2023 • 2h 43min

Season 5 Episode 41: Ana Kasparian Talks Gaza, Genocide & Her PBD Debate

One of our favorite guests, Ana Kasparian, returns for a conversation about the ongoing ethnic cleansing in Gaza and a variety of related issues. She and Ben Burgis watch some of a recent debate she did on the subject with the hosts of the PBD podcast. Before that, Ben and the GTAA crew break down a right-wing video about Rashida Tlaib's censure and talk about "from the river to the sea," and Ben's recent articles in Jacobin. In the postgame for patrons, they watch a video on why "anti-capitalism is anti-vegan" (??) and get into Ben's recent sparring on social media with theoretical physicist and capitalism-loving YouTuber Sabine Hossenfelder.Watch Ana's full PBD appearance:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKxElFQHYzsFollow Ana on Twitter: @AnaKasparianFollow Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgisFollow GTAA on Twitter: @Gtaa_ShowBecome a GTAA Patron and receive numerous benefits ranging from patron-exclusive postgames every Monday night to our undying love and gratitude for helping us keep this thing going:patreon.com/benburgisRead the weekly philosophy Substack:benburgis.substack.comVisit benburgis.com
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Nov 14, 2023 • 2h 22min

Thursday Night Debate Breakdown: Norman Finkelstein vs. Eli Lake

Current Affairs magazine's House Economist Rob Larson and journalist Matthew Vernon Whalan join Ben Burgis to continue the weekly series of Thursday Night Debate Breakdowns by watching a brand-new one for once--Norman Finkelstein's debate on Gaza with Eli Lake.Read Rob at Current Affairs:https://www.currentaffairs.org/author/rob-larsonRead Matthew's Substack:https://matthewvernonwhalan.substack.com/Follow Rob on Twitter: @IronicProfessorFollow Matthew on Twitter: @VernonWhalanFollow Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgisFollow GTAA on Twitter: @Gtaa_ShowBecome a GTAA Patron and receive numerous benefits ranging from patron-exclusive postgames every Monday night to our undying love and gratitude for helping us keep this thing going:patreon.com/benburgisRead the weekly philosophy Substack:benburgis.substack.comVisit benburgis.com
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Nov 10, 2023 • 1h 49min

Season 5 Episode 40: Jordan Peterson Launches His Music Career + Luke Savage vs. Reactionary Dolts

Jacobin staff writer Luke Savage joins Ben Burgis for a look at (among other things) the sad pointless writing of NYT columnist David Brooks & physicist and science educator Sabine Hossenfelder's late-career pivot toward apologetics for capitalism. Before that, This is Revolution host Jason Myles joins Ben and the GTAA crew to talk about Jason's upcoming show in the San Francisco Bay Area on November 18th (a book launch for Jason's "I Was a Teenage Anarchist" + meet and greet featuring Jason, Ben, and several bands you've heard of!) and take a look at the rapid progression of Jordan Peterson's symptoms. Last but definitely not least the one and only Conan Neutron hangs out with the gang in the postgame for GTAA patrons.Read Luke at Jacobin:https://jacobin.com/author/luke-savageTickets to Jason's show:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/i-was-a-teenage-anarchist-book-launch-partymeet-and-greet-tickets-739577424987?aff=oddtdtcreatorFollow Jason on Twitter: @J_Myles_TIRFollow Luke on Twitter: @LukewSavageFollow Conan on Twitter: @conanneutronFollow Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgisFollow GTAA on Twitter: @Gtaa_ShowBecome a GTAA Patron and receive numerous benefits ranging from patron-exclusive postgames every Monday night to our undying love and gratitude for helping us keep this thing going:patreon.com/benburgisRead the weekly philosophy Substack:benburgis.substack.comVisit benburgis.com
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Nov 7, 2023 • 2h 8min

Thursday Night Debate Breakdown: William F. Buckley/Ed Koch/Stephen Bright/Etc. on the Death Penalty

Matthew Whalan and Ben Burgis continue the weekly series of Thursday Night Debate Breakdowns by watching a debate on "Resolved: That the Death Penalty Is a Good Thing" from a 1994 episode of William F. Buckley's Firing Line. These names didn't all fit in the title but the guests are Ed Koch, Walter Berns, Susan Boleyn, Ira Glasser, Leon Botstein, Stephen B. Bright, Bryan Stevenson.Matthew has written some relevant essays on His Substack:https://matthewvernonwhalan.substack.com/p/the-jimmy-davis-jr-story-death-rowhttps://matthewvernonwhalan.substack.com/p/ending-peoples-lives-putting-peoplehttps://matthewvernonwhalan.substack.com/p/institutional-racism-and-classismFollow Matthew on Twitter: @VernonWhalanFollow Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgisFollow GTAA on Twitter: @Gtaa_ShowBecome a GTAA Patron and receive numerous benefits ranging from patron-exclusive postgames every Monday night to our undying love and gratitude for helping us keep this thing going:patreon.com/benburgisRead the weekly philosophy Substack:benburgis.substack.comVisit benburgis.com
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Nov 4, 2023 • 1h 43min

Season 5 Episode 39: Andy's Dumpster-Dive on Rumble

Andy, Jake, Rayyvana, and Kristina explore strange and disturbing clips from the internet, including Israel's comedy show featuring Greta Thunberg, parenting challenges, homeschooling, the significance of masculine youth, casting controversies, and analyzing controversial statements and empathy towards listeners. They also discuss symbols in Egyptian mythology and Freemasonry, a parent's heartbreaking account of losing their child to 'gender ideology,' and conspiracy theories and the manipulation of anger.
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Oct 31, 2023 • 2h 5min

Thursday Night Debate Breakdown: Sam Harris vs. Chris Hedges

C. Derrick Varn, Jordan Dubin and Deep State Kuba once again join Ben Burgis to continue the weekly series of Thursday Night Debate Breakdowns by watching Sam Harris's 2007 debate with Chris Hedges on politics and religion. (Note that we initially mistakenly thought this was from 2011--the date on the video we were sharing--and some of the discussion reflects that assumption!)Follow Varn on Twitter: @skepoetFollow Deep State on Twitter: @DrKuba2Follow Producer Jordan on Twitter: @jayohardeeayenFollow Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgisFollow GTAA on Twitter: @Gtaa_ShowBecome a GTAA Patron and receive numerous benefits ranging from patron-exclusive postgames every Monday night to our undying love and gratitude for helping us keep this thing going:patreon.com/benburgisRead the weekly philosophy Substack:benburgis.substack.comVisit benburgis.com
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Oct 27, 2023 • 1h 46min

Season 5 Episode 38: Debate w/Siaka Massaquoi Live In Studio + Matt Lech in the Postgame

On the main show, GTAA host Ben Burgis debates Los Angeles GOP Vice Chair + Prager U and Babylon Bee contributor Siaka Massaquoi. (Note: This was originally scheduled elsewhere but we ended up having to move it to just do it tonight int he studio, which is bad news for LA listeners who wanted to see it in person--sorry about that!--but good news for listeners everywhere else who now get access to it sooner?) Before that, Ben and the GTAA crew talk a bit about Ben's article reporting Joe Biden's "kill all the Canadians if there's terrorism from Canada" hypothetical (from his 1982 conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin) for the first time in the English-language press. Left Reckoning host Matt Lech hangs out in the postgame for GTAA patrons.Follow Siaka on Twitter: @_SiakaMassaquoiFollow Matt on Twitter: @MattLechFollow Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgisFollow GTAA on Twitter: @Gtaa_ShowBecome a GTAA Patron and receive numerous benefits ranging from patron-exclusive postgames every Monday night to our undying love and gratitude for helping us keep this thing going:patreon.com/benburgisRead the weekly philosophy Substack:benburgis.substack.comVisit benburgis.com
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Oct 24, 2023 • 2h 17min

Thursday Night Debate Breakdown: Norm Finkelstein Debates Israel/Palestine at the Cambridge Union

Victor Bruzzone and Ethan from the Confronting Capital channel once again join Ben Burgis for a Thursday Night Debate Breakdown. This week they're taking a look at a Cambridge Union debate from 5 years ago where Norman Finkelstein, left-wing Israeli journalist Gideon Levy and several other speakers debate the question of whether the two-state solution is dead. [Note: The original plan was to watch a different Cambridge Union debate with Norm but we had to switch due to audio issues. Sorry about the confusion!]Read Ethan's Substack:https://confrontingcapital.substack.com/Check out Victor and Ethan's podcast (with Matt McManus and Gordon Katic) "Academic Edgelords"):https://academicedgelords.com/Follow Ethan on Twitter: @anontwtuser11Follow Victor on Twitter: @victorbruzzoneFollow Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgisFollow GTAA on Twitter: @Gtaa_ShowBecome a GTAA Patron and receive numerous benefits ranging from patron-exclusive postgames every Monday night to our undying love and gratitude for helping us keep this thing going:patreon.com/benburgisRead the weekly philosophy Substack:benburgis.substack.comVisit benburgis.com

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